Chapter 286 - 218: Evans: Isaac! You Madman

Chapter 286: Chapter 218: Evans: Isaac! You Madman

Isaac was here to find a research partner, not to cause trouble, so he wasn’t dissatisfied that the guards hadn’t immediately welcomed him. He understood their methods; if he lived in a place like this, he would be just as cautious.

Isaac didn’t have to wait long. Soon, with a flash of golden light, Evans emerged, smiling, dressed in a Wizard Robe adorned with stars.

"Isaac Solomon?" Evans asked, looking at Isaac with a flash of surprise in his eyes.

He knew Isaac had become a High-level Mage in a remarkably short time, but he hadn’t expected him to be this young...

Although many Wizards used Magic to maintain a youthful appearance, some things couldn’t be faked. Life force, for example, was immutable. Isaac’s life force was incredibly vibrant, something Magic couldn’t replicate.

Or rather, the vast majority of Magic could not deceive Evans, a High-level Mage himself.

It was just that...

For some reason, Evans’s expectations for Isaac diminished slightly. In any world, it’s inevitable to look down on the young to a certain degree.

Of course, as a veteran High-level Mage and the leader of the Holy Monarchy, he wouldn’t let his inner thoughts show on his face. On the surface, he remained impassive.

Isaac nodded and said with a smile, "Master Evans, we finally meet. It wasn’t easy getting to you."

Evans glanced at the slightly tattered hem of Isaac’s robes, nodded in approval, and lamented, "Yes, it certainly wasn’t easy."

As the leader of the Holy Monarchy, Evans knew all too well how troublesome his "old friends" could be. Isaac had fought and bulldozed his way here. And though he had spent most of the journey fleeing, he had still arrived unscathed. It was a testament to his remarkable strength—or, at the very least, his outstanding defensive and escape abilities.

"Let’s go inside and talk. My apologies, the situation here is rather chaotic, so my people act with caution. I hope you can understand." After the simple greeting, Evans began with an apology to Isaac.

"It’s no trouble. This is how it should be." Isaac shrugged nonchalantly and followed Evans into the town.

Once inside the town, Evans led Isaac to a side hall. The moment they sat down, Evans said bluntly, "I have a general idea of why you’re here, but I imagine you’re now aware of my current circumstances. Even if I were to participate in your research, I likely wouldn’t have much time to invest."

Faced with such bluntness, Isaac raised an eyebrow. ’Just what you’d expect from a Wizard who clawed his way up from the bottom,’ he thought. ’He gets straight to the point.’ But Isaac didn’t mind; in fact, he quite liked it. Directness made things easier.

So, Isaac was just as direct in his reply. "But you should also know that as things stand, no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to save this country. Not even if you advance to Tier Four."

At those words, Evans fell silent. Because what Isaac said was the truth.

Lies don’t hurt. The truth is the swift blade.

Theoretically, a Tier Four—be it a Knight or a Wizard—should be powerful enough to quell the chaos in a Kingdom.

But that was only under normal circumstances.

The situation in the Norwegian Kingdom, however, was complex. On the surface, it was a civil war. In reality, nearly every one of the tangled factions vying for power was secretly backed by a neighboring country.

The Holy Monarchy was no exception.

On top of that, the years of turmoil had attracted many from the Dark World, including powerful individuals who were also Tier Four. Thus, a single Tier Four was not necessarily enough to quell the chaos in a nation that had been in turmoil for centuries, with countless interwoven interests at stake.

Besides the common folk at the very bottom, it could be said that no one wanted the conflict here to end.

Including the powers backing the Holy Monarchy!

To put it another way, the moment the Holy Monarchy demonstrated the ability to actually end the conflict, its backers would instantly abandon it. They would then prop up a new faction to oppose the Holy Monarchy, or simply destroy it outright.

Isaac watched the silent Evans and smiled faintly. "So," he continued, "you need a new approach. You need to become stronger while also finding more allies to help you save this country."

"You mean... your people?" Evans asked, his expression complicated. As a High-level Mage, Evans was no fool; he had naturally caught Isaac’s underlying meaning.

And yet...

To be honest, he was tempted.

Because the key to Isaac’s proposition wasn’t who Isaac was now, but who he would become in the future.

In truth, while seeing Isaac’s shockingly young age had indeed made him feel a hint of disdain, that disdain was merely a slight doubt about his current strength and past achievements.

As for Isaac’s talent, he didn’t have the slightest doubt. On the contrary, he was all the more astonished by it.

After all, his rank as a High-level Mage couldn’t be faked. As a High-level Mage himself, Evans knew full well how much hardship one had to endure to reach this stage—even if one took a shortcut.

One must understand that for a Wizard—especially for a potential Legendary Mage—shortcuts were not easy paths. The slightest misstep could lead to a point of no return.

Therefore, if he were to bet on Isaac’s future, the chances of saving the Norwegian Kingdom might actually be higher than with his current plan.